LCRA, City of San Saba award $16,940 grant for library renovations

Carpeting at Rylander Memorial Library will be replaced for the first time since the 1970s

Dec. 8, 2023

LCRA and City of San Saba representatives present a $16,940 grant to Friends of the Rylander Memorial Library for upgrades to the library. The grant is part of LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program. Pictured, from left to right, are: Steve Dyer, LCRA Regional Affairs representative; Scott Synder, library patron; Loy Nell Behrens, Friends board member; Jody Fauley, San Saba County judge; Mikie Bishop, Friends board president; Margaret D. “Meg” Voelter, LCRA Board member; Scott Edmonson, city manager; Martha Leigh M. Whitten, LCRA Board member; Patsy Kirk, Friends board member; Lynn Blankenship, Friends board treasurer; Margie Osborn, Sue Key and Marcia Dyer, Friends board members; Samantha Vargas, librarian; and Abby Snyder, Friends board member.

SAN SABA, Texas – The Rylander Memorial Library will update its carpeting for the first time in more than 40 years thanks to a $16,940 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority and the City of San Saba. The Community Development Partnership Program grant, along with $6,000 in matching funds provided by Friends of the Rylander Memorial Library, will be used to replace and upgrade the library’s worn-out carpeting. Marcia Dyer, board member of Friends of the Rylander Memorial Library, said the new flooring is part of an ongoing effort to renovate the library for the first time since the 1970s. “We have a great Friends board, a wonderful librarian who has created new programming, and a renewed interest in our library,” she said. “We just felt like it was time to invest in our building.” The library’s large conference space is used for community events and provides meeting space for organizations such as the San Saba Historical Society and local conservation groups. “Our librarian, Samantha Vargas, has been really great at promoting events happening at the library and building programs for the children in our community,” Dyer said. “She has a great summer reading program for all ages and a story hour for preschoolers that goes year-round. Now that we have some interest back in the library, we want people to enjoy coming here and not think, ‘oh that’s just the library.’’’ In addition to community-based programs, the library also boasts a robust genealogy section, including a large selection of microfiche and historical data that attracts genealogists from all over the state. “Every little ranch cemetery and other cemetery in this county was cataloged by a local couple and donated to the genealogy section here at the library,” Dyer said. The Rylander Memorial Library is the only public library in San Saba County, which has about 6,000 residents. In addition to being thankful for the grant from LCRA and the City of San Saba, Dyer also wanted to thank San Saba County Judge Jody Fauley and county commissioners for partnering with the Friends of the Library to provide the matching funds needed for the renovations. The community grant is one of 45 grants awarded recently through LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program, which helps volunteer fire departments, local governments, emergency responders and nonprofit organizations fund capital improvement projects in LCRA’s wholesale electric, water and transmission service areas. The program is part of LCRA’s effort to give back to the communities it serves. The City of San Saba is one of LCRA’s wholesale electric customers and is a partner in the grant program.

Applications for the next round of grants will be accepted in January. More information is available at lcra.org/cdpp.

About LCRA

The Lower Colorado River Authority serves customers and communities throughout Texas by managing the lower Colorado River; generating and transmitting electric power; providing a clean, reliable water supply; and offering outdoor adventures at more than 40 parks along the Colorado River from the Texas Hill Country to the Gulf Coast. LCRA and its employees are committed to fulfilling our mission to enhance the quality of life of the Texans we serve through water stewardship, energy and community service. LCRA was created by the Texas Legislature in 1934 and receives no state appropriations.

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